Matadors return to playoffs

Estacado 4 - Plainview16

A decade's worth of trials, tribulations and frustrations ended with an emphatic exclamation point as the Matadors used a 23-point third quarter to break open a close game and capture a 41-6 win over Plainview, securing the program's first postseason appearance in 10 years.

"It's great," said three-year starting linebacker EZ Reyna. "My freshman year we had a winning season and after that it went downhill. Getting back to this level again, I can't describe it. It's great fun to be winning again. We've got a lot of work to do and we've done a lot of work, and this is what happens, it pays off for you."

Jodi Miller / Staff

Estacado's Dontre'on McKenzie (8) catches a pass against Plainview's Tanner Lane (24) late in the second quarter. The catch set up a Jeremy Watson touchdown

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It is the first time since 1997 the Mats (4-4, 2-0 in District 4-4A)) will make a playoff appearance, and four wins ties the most Estacado has had in a single season since that last playoff team. The Mats won consecutive district games for the first time since the 2000 season.

And by outscoring its two district opponents by a combined score of 83-34, Estacado is showing it's also positioning itself to do more than just make the playoffs.

"I'll tell you what," first-year Mats head coach Danny Servance said. "It's a relief, but we're not finished. We've still got two ballgames left and we're proud of the kids. We're happy with the way we played but we're not satisfied."

The loss all but mathematically eliminates the Bulldogs (0-9, 0-3) from playoff contention, a bitter pill to swallow for a program that has made deep playoff runs the last few years.

Unless it beats Big Spring next week, Plainview will suffer its first winless season since 1963. The Bulldogs have been outscored 100-14 the last two weeks.

"It's very disappointing," head coach Marty McClintock said, "not only for me but for these young men who've put their heart and soul into this program. It's a situation that's very frustrating and heart-felt. My hats go off to the seniors and this whole team for not ever throwing in the towel.

"We wish (Estacado) the best of luck in representing 4-4A in the playoffs like it needs to be represented."

Once the Mats got rolling in the second half, they were unstoppable. Xavier Essix picked up a fumble and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown three minutes into the third quarter for a 20-0 lead. Just over four minutes later, Eric Washington scored on an 8-yard run and Devon Dixon caught a 36-yard TD pass from quarterback Kyle Jackson to finish the scoring and stake the Mats to a 35-6 lead.

Estacado capped its scoring on Jeremy Watson's third TD reception of the game, this one a 10-yarder from Jackson on the first play of the fourth quarter. Watson now has 888 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns for the year. Jackson finished 11 of 14 for 259 yards and four touchdowns.

"We weren't as awake as we should have been (in the first half) and weren't ready to play," Jackson said. "The coaches got us together and we went from there. (They said) we needed to wake up or it's going to slip away from us again."

But it didn't, thanks in large part to a stellar defensive effort as well.

The Bulldogs chewed up 289 yards of offense, but most came in the first half as both teams jostled for position and battled turnovers. The Bulldogs managed just 116 yards, though, in the second half.

"This is a big step for our program," Servance said. "We're trying to implement something and build on it to see that this is not a one-time thing. We're trying to make this a program so that not matter what kids are here we do the same thing. That's what building a program is all about and this is a big step in order to do that."